Endometriosis is linked with having problems in becoming pregnant and the increased risk of infertility. It has three stages. Stage one has a minimal intensity of disease in which there are few small implants of endometriosis without any scar tissues.
Stage two has the mild intensity of disease in which there are more implants of endometriosis present. There is also no scar tissue in this stage but it involves less than two inches of the area of the abdomen. Stage three of endometriosis has a moderate level of the disease.
In this stage, endometriosis is deep in the area of the abdomen and creates small pockets of the endometriotic fluid in the area of the ovaries. Doctors may find scar tissues around the area of ovaries or tubes. Stage four has many endometriotic implants.
Doctors may find large endometriotic cysts in the area of ovaries and scars tissues in the area of the rectum, uterus, and fallopian tubes.
Fertility And Surgical Treatment Of Endometriosis
Women having stage one or two of endometriosis can become pregnant on their own. The woman who has gone through laparoscopy and has infertility is vulnerable to develop endometriosis as compared to the woman who becomes pregnant without having difficulties.
Evidence suggests that rates of pregnancy improve if stage one and two of endometriosis is removed through a surgical procedure. Some data shows that it may not help. In general, it is logical to remove the visible endometriosis if the women are less than 35 years old.
In this way, doctors can check if pregnancy occurs or not. Some other treatments of fertility may be recommended by doctors if women are older than 35. The rates of pregnancy after the surgery are higher if women have stage two or four of endometriosis.
In this case, the purpose of surgery is to remove the endometriotic cysts that are large and some scar tissues. If pregnancy is unsuccessful within the duration of six months then the doctor may discuss fertility treatments with you. In the course of recent years, the western world has seen a decline in fertility.
Some women who suffer endometriosis develop cysts that can come back. Continuous removal of the cysts can cause the loss of ovarian eggs. It also makes the process of pregnancy harder. A complete evaluation of fertility is performed without initiating the treatment of infertility.
It includes blood and hormone testing and checking the sperm count of the partner. Medical treatments are associated with the stages of the endometriosis of the patient.
Stage I-II Endometriosis Clomiphene IUI Treatment
Clomiphene citrate is a fertility medication that doctors recommend to improve the likelihood of a woman’s pregnancy. It is given after the starting of menstrual periods for five days. The male partner produces a sample of sperm through masturbation into a sterile cup.
The sperm is brought to the laboratory and the woman comes into that fertility laboratory at the time of ovulation so that sperm can be placed within the uterus thin tube. Doctors do it during the speculum exam. It may feel the same as a pap test.
The likelihood of becoming pregnant for women with one treatment of clomiphene is 10% who are less than 40 years old. Doctors do further treatment if this treatment remains unsuccessful.
Stage III-IV Endometriosis
If pregnancy is unsuccessful after the different surgical treatments for six to 12 months then the doctor may recommend in-vitro fertilization in general. The fallopian tube becomes blocked in some cases. Scar tissues may get more severe.
In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
Doctors explain the chance if the in-vitro fertilization will work for you or not based on hormone testing and your age range. Women take small fertility medication injections in this treatment. These injections promote the growth of eggs in the ovaries within the pockets of fluid.
These pockets of fluid are called follicles. Doctors watch these follicles with the help of ultrasound and blood tests. Eggs are ready for removal from the ovaries when follicles show a certain size. Doctors do this treatment under light sleeping anesthesia.
They use a needle to pass it through the wall of the vagina in this treatment. Doctors take guidelines through ultrasound. They pass the needle into the eggs present in the ovaries. This process takes almost ten minutes.
Doctors place these eggs with the sperms in the laboratories. Most of the eggs become fertilized and the embryo starts growing.